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2025-09-17 App_36172/2025
Source:
reimbursement of court fees
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Rule 103 – Preparation for the interim conference, Rule 370 – Court fees
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The following text is not a complete transcript of the decision/order:
Düsseldorf Local Division
UPC_CFI_99/2024
UPC_CFI_392/2024
Order
of the Court of First Instance of the Unified Patent Court
issued on 17 September 2025
concerning EP 2 263 098 B1
CLAIMANT:
Ona Patents SL, represented by its CEO Raúl Diaz Morales, Carrer de Calàbria 149 En. 1, 08015 Barcelona, Spain
Represented by: Attorney-at-law Dr Christof Augenstein, Attorney-at-law Dr Bene-dikt Walesch, Attorney-at-law Dr Melissa Lutz, Kather Augenstein Rechtsanwälte PartGmbB, Bahnstraße 16, 40212 Düsseldorf, Ger-many
Electronic address for service: augenstein@katheraugenstein.com
COUNTER-DEFENDANT 2:
Ekahau Oy, represented by the Board of Directors Jeremy Rossen, Brian Conrad Stewart und Ari
Olavi Tourunen, Jaakonkatu 5, 00100, Helsinki, Finland
Represented by: Attorney-at-law Dr Christof Augenstein, Attorney-at-law Dr Ben-edikt Walesch, Attorney-at-law Dr Melissa Lutz, Kather Augen-stein Rechtsanwälte PartGmbB, Bahnstraße 16, 40212 Düsseldorf, Germany
Patent Attorney Dipl.-Ing. Benjamin Bubendorfer, Patent Attorney M. Sc. Andreas Rauscher, WBH Wachenhausen Patentanwälte
PartGmbB, Müllerstraße 40, 80469 Munich, Germany
Electronic address for service: augenstein@katheraugenstein.com
DEFENDANTS:
1. Apple Inc., represented by its CEO Tim Cook, One Apple Park Way, Cupertino, CA 95014, USA
2. Apple Distribution International Ltd., represented by its Directors Cathy Kearny, Michael O’Sullivan and Peter Denwood, Hollyhill Industrial Estate, Hollyhill, Cork, T23 YK84, Republic of Irland
3. Apple Retail Germany B.V. & Co. KG, represented by its personally liable partner Apple Hold-ing B.V., represented by its CEO Alexander Niemczyk, Michael Joseph Boyd und Peter Ronald Denwood, Maximilianstraße 54, 80538 Munich, Germany
4. Apple GmbH, represented by its CEOs Michael Joseph Boyd und Peter Ronald Denwood, Katharina-von-Bora-Str. 3, 80333 Munich, Germany
5. Apple Retail France EURL, represented by its CEOs Peter Ronald Denwood und Éamonn Clancy, 3-5 rue Saint Georges, 75009 Paris, France
All Defendants represented by: Attorney-at-law Prof Dr Tilman Müller-Stoy, Attor-ney-at-law Dr Tobias Wuttke, Bardehle Pagenberg Partnerschaft mbB, Prinzregentenplatz 7, 81675 München, Germany
Electronic address for service: mueller-stoy@bardehle.com
PATENT IN SUIT:
European Patent No. EP 2 263 098 B1
PANEL/DIVISION:
Panel of the Local Division in Düsseldorf
DECIDING JUDGES:
This order was issued by Presiding Judge Thomas acting as judge-rapporteur, legally qualified judge Dr Thom, legally qualified judge Kokke and technically qualified judge Myon.
LANGUAGE OF THE PROCEEDINGS: English
SUBJECT OF THE PROCEEDINGS: R. 370.9 and .11 RoP – Reimbursement of court fees
SUMMARY OF THE FACTS:
On 14 March 2024, the Claimant filed a patent infringement action against the Defendants.
All Defendants filed a counterclaim for revocation on 5 August 2025. Defendants of the counter-claim for revocation are the Claimant and the Counter-Defendant 2).
Prior to the closure of the written procedure, the Claimant withdrew its infringement action by brief dated 1 September 2025. In the same submission, the Claimant and the Counter-Defendant 2) agreed to the withdrawal of the counterclaim for revocation to be declared by the Defendants.
On 3 September 2025, the Defendants agreed to the withdrawal of the infringement action and withdrew Defendant’s 1) - 5) counterclaim for revocation.
By decision of 5 September 2025, the Court allowed these withdrawals (App_35850/2025 and
App_36054/2025).
On 8 September 2025, Defendants requested a partial reimbursement of the court fees paid with regard to the counterclaim for revocation.
Following a request filed by the Claimant, on 11 September 2025 the Court ordered that the Regis-trar is directed to reimburse the Claimant 40 % of the court fees paid in relation to the infringement action as soon as possible, which amounts to € 20,000 (App_35855/2025).
GROUNDS FOR THE ORDER:
According to R. 370.9(b)(i) RoP, fixed and value-based fees may be reimbursed by 60 % if an action is withdrawn before the closure of the written procedure. R. 370.11 RoP states that the Court shall deal with applications for a reimbursement of Court fees without delay, provided it is satisfied that the reimbursement is appropriate.
Based on these principles, a reimbursement of 40 % is appropriate in the present case. Although the written proceedings had not yet been formally closed, all regular pleadings foreseen in the Rules of Procedure had already been exchanged between the parties. Based on this, the judge-rapporteur raised a lot of questions and requested further documentation on 1 August 2025. This order required an in-depth examination of the matter and is comparable to an R. 103 RoP order. In light of this, it is reasonable to reimburse only 40 % of the court fees, as set out in R. 370.9(b)(ii) RoP for withdrawal in the interim procedure.
ORDER:
The Registrar is directed to reimburse the Defendants 40 % of the court fees paid in relation to the counterclaim for revocation as soon as possible, which amounts to € 8,000.
DETAILS OF THE ORDER:
App_36172/2025 under main file references ACT_11910/2024 and CC_40010/2024
UPC-Number: UPC_CFI_99/2024 and UPC_CFI_392/2024
Subject of the Proceedings: Infringement action and counterclaim for revocation
Issued in Düsseldorf on 17 September 2025
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